There’s a new look for Office 365 as well as some changes to the service for the Spring semester

New Login Page – On Sunday, February 1st, ITS will go live with a new login page. This not only looks better than the old page, it also eliminates the bug that caused Google Chrome not to work correctly in some cases, particularly with SharePoint Online:

New Office Web Interface – Microsoft recently rolled out an updated look for the Office 365 web interface that’s designed to be more mobile-friendly. This presents you with tiles for the Office Apps you have available, accessible from the upper-left corner of the screen:

Office 2013/Office 365 Apps available for students – Students currently enrolled in classes have access to both the web-based version of Office applications as well as the traditional desktop versions for free. Students can download Office by logging in to the web interface, clicking on “Office 365″ at the top of the screen and clicking on the “Install now” button:

Prior to the fall 2014 semester starting, we were working with Microsoft to roll out the Office suite to all Washburn students. We got the process working just after the semester started and since that time have had 376 students download and install the suite. We are able to provide this to all of our students with a Microsoft site license we purchase every year for all campus computers.

These directions will walk you through where to go within your Washburn email account to download the software and then how to install the software. Note that using your Washburn email account and the directions below, it is possible to install the Office suite on up to five devices (PC or Mac). It is also possible to use mobile versions of the office programs on such devices as iPhones or iPads.

Click the gear box in the upper right hand corner of your email to display a drop down list of selections.

Click on Office 365 Settings.

The next screen will show various options on the left hand side. Select Software.

The next screen will show what software can be installed.

PCs — One button for Install listed with all of the software in one package. This will install Office 2013 for PCs with the software listed below.

Word

Excel

PowerPoint

OneNote

Access

Publisher

Outlook

Lync

InfoPath

Macs — Two different Install buttons listed, select the first option to install Office 2011 for Mac with the software listed below.

Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Outlook

Another Install option will be listed for Mac as there are currently two different versions of Outlook. Use the Outlook in the first option.

OneNote is available for Mac, but you will need to install it from the app store.

Once the Install is clicked, the program will begin to download to your computer.

When the download is complete, install the program. Note, download time will depend on your Internet connection to Microsoft.

After installation, if prompted to activate product, select Sign in to existing Office 365 subscription. Enter your full Washburn email address and then your email password.

The Office suite, whether on PC or Mac, will remain updated and current as long as you are a student. Once you leave Washburn, the program will stop working and prompt you to purchase through Microsoft.

Any problems or questions, please contact ITS User Services at support@washburn.edu or by calling 785-670-3000.

Let us know if you have any questions. We’re preparing additional guidance on managing your spam settings and will publish that shortly. Microsoft documentation on spam management in Office 365 can be found at this link:

The eduStyle Higher-ed Web Awards celebrate the best work in college and university websites. This year Washburn University’s www.washburn.edu website is a finalist in the Best Campus Map or Virtual Tour category. Vote for Washburn University Virtual Tour and Campus Map by September 2nd at:

Welcome new and returning faculty at Washburn University and Washburn Institute of Technology. This past week, new faculty at Washburn University have had a lot of activities and new information to absorb. Please remember the technology support contact information from Information Technology Services (ITS):

I hope you’ve had a chance to visit and browse around the new website for Washburn University. This is a great step in enhancing our online presence and engaging our community as well as those we hope will join our community. Below are some of the features of the new website taken from a news release written by Amanda Hughes.

A consistent and professional design for all areas featuring new imagery. The Cascade Content Management System (CMS) provides a framework for managing the brand across the website, while allowing individuals to publish specialized content.

A new “Meet Our Faculty” area allows students to get to know more about the Washburn faculty reflecting Washburn’s commitment to student engagement with faculty taught courses and other faculty lead opportunities, such as service and research.

The new interactive virtual tour gives insight into Washburn University and not only covers academics, but includes student activities, campus life, and athletics through an interactive map, pictures and videos.

Highlighted are six messages, with accompanying videos, which speak to realizing your dreams through quality, affordable education at Washburn.

A number of new tools have been added to include a comprehensive calendar of events and news services from across campus.

In addition, schools and departments can personalize the displayed news and events on their web pages which are relevant to their specific audience.

The use of social media has been adopted to better promote campus programs and allow faculty, staff and students to share information with their friends and colleagues.

With the growing use of mobile devices, Washburn employed a “responsive” design for the new website enabling the effective use of smart phones and tablets as well as laptop and desktop computers.

Welcome. I’m extremely excited for our new web blog to go live. I hope you’ll find the information posted here useful and interesting. Since I like short postings, I’ll simply direct you to the About page for a more detailed introduction.